SC - OOP - Foodie Books

[Sue Clemenger]

Chris Stanifer wrote:
> 
> One of the interesting things I have discovered, along
> these lines, is that most people who "detest"
> mayonnaise will willingly gobble up this hellish
> concoction as if it were Mana from Heaven.  One
> particular (and peculiar) foodserver who used to work
> for me had an aversion to "anything white" (which I
> found to be just as reasonable as an allergy to the
> color purple), yet she would bring her own jar of
> Miracle Whip for the cooks to spread on her
> sandwiches.  Ask her to eat mayonnaise, ranch
> dressing, or even Alfredo Sauce, and she would gag and
> heave like a college student after his first Beer
> Bong.  Yet, she would spread this sickly sweet goop on
> her sandwiches and inch thick.  Peculiar, no?

Food aversions are rarely reasonable. I think my favorite concerned a
local Chinese take-out place and an order for the ubiquitous
"halffriedchickenfriedrice" to be made, as per customer's request "and
no onions". The cook accordingly cooked the rice with a few mushroom
slices and some bean sprouts, after which the customer returned, angrily
protesting the inclusion of onions. "No, no onions," cried the cook from
the kitchen, "Bean sprouts and mushrooms!" "See, what did I tell you?"
sez the customer. "Onions!"
 
> I am not a huge fan of commercially made mayonnaise,
> myself (preferring the richness of the home-made
> version), so you can well imagine my dislike for this
> psuedo-mayo.  It's rather like modern catsup, if you
> ask me.... Too far removed from the original to be
> considered and advancement or refinement.

You don't wanna include the word "adequate" anywhere in that last
sentence? The thing is, they would have you believe it is a totally
different product, and that comparing it to mayo is like comparing
apples and oranges. What they don't tell you is that they were forced by
the FDA's Standard of Identity rules to call it "salad dressing" and not
mayonnaise, in spite of the fact that it was clearly created (and Kraft
cheerfully admits this) as a cost-cutting measure to battle falling mayo
sales during the depression. Bearing in mind that commercial mayos use
considerably less egg yolk than homemade ones, I'm surprised they have
the cahoneys to list the word in their ingredients list. (As it seems,
in truth, I must admit they do.) Of course, it is listed after several
other all-natural ingredients, down among the all-natural modified food starch.

As for commercial mayos (and generally I agree with you, they rarely
hold a candle to homemade, but then homemade takes, what, three minutes
to  make?) I've occasionally found good ones by reading the ingredients.
I seem to recall the "America's Choice" brand, which is apparently a
semi-generic house brand for several different supermarket chains is
made from egg yolks (not whole eggs), a mixture (I think) of oils, lemon
juice (not vinegar), mustard, cayenne, and salt. It boggles the mind to
think such a product could be called bland in comparison to Kraft's
Miracle Bathtub Caulking. Still not as good as homemade, mind you, but
definitely a step in the right direction.

Adamantius 
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com